Trying Couldn't Hurt
by Miencat
Summary: Arranged Marriage!AU Feat. Gerita. Germany/Italy. They were arranged since birth, and it was always a sore subject with Ludwig. Maybe learning to love Feliciano wasn't as hard as it seemed.


**Arranged Marriage!AU feat. Gerita. ****I am very partial to medieval time periods and hurt/comfort so. yeah, enjoy. Written to cheer myself up while working on a larger gerita thing. **

The kingdoms of Augustus and Folkert had been fighting pettily for almost twenty years, and an agreement had to be reached somehow. It was decided that the kingdoms should be joined through marriage to properly end the feud. It had been fully acceptable at first, because everyone had thought Feliciano was a girl. So it was decided that Feliciano Vargas was to be married to Ludwig Beilschmidt, and the royal couples had assumed that with heirs selected and arranged, they needn't worry about having any more children, and began the process of introducing the to-be-couple even though they were but children.

All went smoothly, and they seemed to enjoy each other's company, until the age of fifteen. Then was when the royal families deemed it appropriate for the two to begin living together, and on that first night Ludwig had come back sputtering and red-faced.

"He's a boy, Vati. Feliciano is a boy." Was all he had said, leaving the rest up to Folkert. Augustus had sincerely apologized, saying Feliciano had acted so much like a girl his caretaker had begun dressing him up as one, and it stuck. So Folkert and Augustus met to talk, but by this time, both boys were fifteen with no younger siblings, so a marriage would either contain an unspeakable age gap, or have to wait another eighteen years or so.

They had eventually come to the decision that; yes, the two ought to still be married, for a number of reasons. One, the boys had been brought up their entire lives under the notion they were to be wed, two, this agreement and merger was absolutely necessary to combat rising powers to the West, and three, both couples were too old to raise another pair in time. They decided the marriage was to take place in a few months, so both boys would be sixteen, and all was settled aside from the feeling of the boys themselves.

Ludwig wouldn't talk to him. He wouldn't hug him or pat his head like he used to, and sometimes he wouldn't even look at him. Feliciano wondered how they were ever supposed to work out. Ludwig had ordered that from now on he must wear male clothes, and he was less apt to sleep or bathe together, even though the two were betrothed. It hurt, just a little-okay, he lied, it hurt a lot, that Ludwig had treated him so tenderly before, and all his views seemed to change when he discovered Feliciano was a male. It was stupid, in Feliciano's opinion, because nothing about him had changed.

Two months before the wedding, and he finally lost any tolerance for the blonde's cold behavior. Feliciano tried desperately to wiggle his way under Ludwig's arm as they s on the ottoman, practically begging for any reaction. The blond simply crossed his arms, preventing Feliciano from coming any closer. A few small tears slipped out from honey-brown eyes, until he found his body wracking from sobs, hugging his knees tightly to his chest.

"I'm sorry, Ludwig." And like that Feliciano was out the door, down the hall and through the gates of the palace, never looking back or stopping to breathe. He didn't really know or care where he ended up, just that he was beneath a tree with the grass curling around his cheek, thin blades sticking to the wet surfaces.

Ludwig did not move for a while, simply looked at the empty space next to him. Because though Feliciano may also be a male, nothing about his personality had changed, and honestly Ludwig should have seen this coming. So he instructed Honda to fetch two of their warmest coats, and prepare a horse. It would be a shame if one of them went missing; even Ludwig understood how important their marriage was to the kingdom. It was simply the fact that they were both men, two kings in one kingdom, and with no other arrangements even remotely like it. He worried that they would be chastised or even assassinated, so it was better to address Feliciano as a business partner rather than a spouse. Honda gripped his shoulder as he prepared to mount his horse.

"Sir, please excuse my boldness, but perhaps you should take Feliciano's feelings into account before you set off. I know it is not my place, but I cannot help but feel that he will run off again if you continue to ignore him."

Ludwig shook Honda's hand off his shoulder. It was not in the servant's place to tell him what to do.

"I don't ignore him. Now allow me to leave."

But Honda did not move, gripping tightly at the reigns of the horse, refusing to hand them off to his master.

"Sir-"

"Honda, give me the reigns."

"Sir, with all due respect, you cannot expect Feliciano to willingly return to an environment where his husband-to-be will not even look at him. I beg of you to consider Feliciano's emotional state."

Ludwig eyed the servant up and down. He made a valid point, but the future king could not lose an argument to his servant. "What is your full name, Honda?"

"Kiku, sir, Kiku Honda. Aid to his majesty." The raven-haired man still did not release the reigns.

"Kiku. While it is true that Feliciano's emotions may cloud his better judgment, how can I appease his desires while ensuring the safety of our kingdom? Such an arrangement is unheard of, and we are likely to be treated like fools."

The raven-haired man still did not budge, this time locking his chocolate eyes with Ludwig's sky blue.

"Trying couldn't hurt. If you are dead set on failure, what have you to lose?"

Kiku's words settled deep into Ludwig's mind, making him truly wonder what he was doing; because what was there to lose? The auburn haired girl from his youth had not changed, and this was their fate either way.

"Nothing."

And with this Honda released the reigns, bowing swiftly and turning, leaving Ludwig to wonder just how old and wise the short man was. The prince gathered his thoughts before turning the horse towards the gate and setting off. Night had fallen, and the cold was piercing his bones, even through the thick coat.

It was safe to assume Feliciano would avoid the villages, sticking to the trails less traveled by, where he could be alone. With this in mind, Ludwig headed towards the forest, relieved when he almost immediately could discern a small body huddled at the edge of the trees.

It appeared as though Feliciano had cried himself to sleep, grass sticking to the sides of face in clumps. Careful of the boy's delicate frame, Ludwig gently wrapped him in his coat and positioned him upon the saddle, leaping up behind him, and swiftly steering them towards home.

Feliciano was woken by the sudden halt of the horse, finding himself trapped inside a heavy coat and strong arms. "Ludwig, I'm sorry..," but Ludwig quieted him, carrying him up the steps and into their room, where he ordered Honda to begin a fire for them. At last he released Feliciano from his iron grip, but kept a firm hand on his wrist.

"Feliciano. I should be the one apologizing. It was wrong of me to ignore you."

Feliciano remained silent, eyes fixated on a smudge on the carpet.

"I...I think that...if we are to be married in several months, it would be appropriate to at least attempt to like each other." Ludwig's face by this point was flushed a bright red, he was pulling gently at his collar and looking off to the side.

Feliciano looked up from the floor, bringing his left hand up to lightly stroke the side of Ludwig's face.

"Does that mean you like me, like I like you?"

Ludwig grunted awkwardly. "Ah, yeah, uh, maybe?"

Feliciano crawled into his lap, gazing intently upwards. "Maybe? Does that mean yes?"

"I don't know...but maybe trying couldn't hurt?"

And Ludwig's face flushed all shades of red as he pulled Feliciano in for a kiss. They weren't the traditional monarchs, but they were most certainly the right ones.


End file.
